Are You F--king Kidding Me?

I cannot believe the stupidity and outright deceptions of this Los Angeles Times op-ed by Neve Gordon.

Israel is an apartheid state and the only way to save Israel is to boycott it?

I am convinced that outside pressure is the only answer. Over the last three decades, Jewish settlers in the occupied territories have dramatically increased their numbers. The myth of the united Jerusalem has led to the creation of an apartheid city where Palestinians aren't citizens and lack basic services. The Israeli peace camp has gradually dwindled so that today it is almost nonexistent, and Israeli politics are moving more and more to the extreme right.

It is therefore clear to me that the only way to counter the apartheid trend in Israel is through massive international pressure. The words and condemnations from the Obama administration and the European Union have yielded no results, not even a settlement freeze, let alone a decision to withdraw from the occupied territories.

I consequently have decided to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement that was launched by Palestinian activists in July 2005 and has since garnered widespread support around the globe. The objective is to ensure that Israel respects its obligations under international law and that Palestinians are granted the right to self-determination.

This guy is seriously off his rocker.

Perhaps if the Palestinian leaders recognized Israel's right to exist, stopped calling for the destruction of Israel as a state, and stopped firing rockets at Israeli citizens, the Israeli government might be willing to have meaningful discussions that could lead to a two state solution and peace in the region.

I hope Neve Gordon enjoys being a useful idiot of the Palestinian cause.

Choice and Competition in Health Care

Well, since the poll numbers for Obamacare show support for a public option dropping like a stone, the White House has regrouped and is now attempting to sell their plan as "choice and competition" in health care. And how does President Obama believe he can bring choice to health care? Does he want to relax the regulations that prohibit people from buying insurance across state lines? No, despite the thousands of insurance companies already doing business in the United States, he feels that the best way to bring competition and choice is through a government owned public option. Only a man who has spent his entire life and government and never worked in the private sector could believe that government will bring choice and competition to the table.

Using his logic, we need government owned gas stations to bring choice and competition to people who buy gas. We need government owned grocery stores to bring choice and competition to people who shop. We need government owned car companies to bring choice and competition to people who buy cars. Oh, wait, we already have that in GM.

This whole thing about choice and competition only being available through a public plan is deceptive and dishonest. I am actually surprised that instead of responding substantively to the views being presented to the administration through ordinary citizens at town hall meetings, the administration continues to ignore them and press forward with its plan to overhaul the entire health care system. They haven't changed their plan at all. They've simply changed their message to choice and competition.

People are freaking out about the deficit and their own financial situation, the last thing they want is another government program that adds to the national debt. Despite what most in this current administration believe, the American public isn't stupid, especially the middle class. They instinctively know that if something like this goes through, it won't only be the rich paying for it, they'll be paying for it as well.

And they're not buying it.

So by all means Democrats, go ahead and pass something purely on party lines which includes higher personal tax rates, higher corporate taxes, penalties for businesses that don't provide insurance, and a value added tax. Good luck in 2010 running with that on your resume.

Whoa whoa who, not so fast there Ace!

Accordng to Drudge, Obama is NOT dropping the Public Option. He's going to double down and do it without any bi-partisan support...

Uh... he can't possibly be THAT dumb can he? I mean don't get me wrong, this is the best possible scenario for us Republicans going in to 2010... but jeez, the ego on this guy... he just can't stand to not get his way, can he?

I mean hell we did everything but beg him to do this. I just can't believe he's actually falling for it!

Amazing.

So you're bummed out by the latest defeat of socialized health care...

Well I know how you feel. Back during Bush's first term I was excited to hear him vow to take on the disaster that is Social Security... well it was you socialized healthcare/retirement types who killed my dream of being able to control more of my own retirement funds back then, so I'm only too happy to return the favor here in 2009.

Victory!

Obama to drop Public Option!!!

How you like my grassroots now Democrats!?

If Palin is so stupid, how did she beat the brilliant Obama in the healthcare debate?

Taranto lays it out here.

I want to pull one of my liberal friends aside and say to them, seriously, you don't REALLY like this plan right? You're only supporting it because you know a failure here badly hurts Obama's presidency, right? Please tell me that's what's going on.

Obama's latest teachable moment...

Comes to us from the flameout of the Cash For Clunkers program.

The damned thing went belly up in 4 days. Burned through a billion dollars in cash. Turns out when you give something valuable (i.e. cash) away for free (or virtually free) an awful lot of people sign up to receieve it.

I'm not here to debate the merits of pulling older cars off the market so they can be replaced by newer cars that pollute less. Or to argue whether or not those new car sales constitute a needed economic stimulus. Maybe they do.

What I'm here to point out is the more important reality that a program designed to give something of value away ran out of that something in 4 days.

And what I'm wondering is... might this episode have implications for what Obama wants to do with a government run health case system?

Health care is both highly in demand and quite valuable. What do you imagine will happen if Government suddenly begins giving it away for free?